Building collapses cost Nigeria 4.6 trillion naira
By the AFREEQUE newsroom, based on Daily Trust
Building collapses in Nigeria caused about 4.6 trillion naira in losses over four years, according to estimates cited by the Daily Trust. Since 1974, more than 650 buildings have collapsed and over 1,600 people have died, according to federal government figures reported last month.
Building collapses have led to the destruction of goods and merchandise worth about 4.6 trillion naira in Nigeria, according to an estimate cited by the Daily Trust. The figure comes from an analysis of incidents documented between 2022 and 2025, presented by Iliyasu Gashinbaki, chairman of the board of the Chartered Institute of Forensics and Certified Fraud Investigators of Nigeria (CIFCFIN).
An engineering study conducted between 2015 and 2025 recorded 111 verified collapses, which killed 321 people and injured 344, according to Iliyasu Gashinbaki. Nationwide, more than 650 collapses have killed over 1,600 people since 1974, based on figures cited by the federal government last month. Lagos, Nigeria’s economic capital, accounts for more than half of the recorded incidents.
CIFCFIN, the Council for the Regulation of Engineering in Nigeria (COREN) and the Nigeria Building and Road Research Institute (NBRRI) have launched an initiative aimed at reducing these collapses. Experts cited by the Daily Trust blamed poor-quality materials, unprofessional construction practices, inadequate oversight and cost-cutting. The Standards Organisation of Nigeria, state ministries of public works and local authorities are legally responsible for inspecting materials and construction.
